About

Christoph Prégardien is one of the most established singers of our time. He has especially excelled in his interpretations of German Romantic Lieder and won Orphée d'Or der Académie du Disque Lyrique - Prix Georg Solti, Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Edison Award, Cannes Classical Award and Diapason d'Or for these interpretations, easy to understand when one hears his controlled, beautifully-phrased yet emotional and tender singing.

Prégardien states, himself, that he believes that the listener is important for the development of material and one can feel how much he enjoys the intimate setting of this concert - which is not unlike the original setting in which Schubert, amidst his friends, created and developed the pieces. Michael Gees and Christoph Prégardien have been working together for a long time and one can feel their strong musical connection. Beautifullighting and filming complete this highly appealing production.

The bonus documentary is based on interviews with Christoph Prégardien and allows us truly understand the intellectual and musical basis of Prégardien's work, his approach to Schubert whilst offering us many gripping facts about Schubert's life and work.

"His lyric tenor voice had a youthful glow, yet he sang with plaintive beauty and piercing insight." The New York Times

"The result is an incredibly gripping night full of pieces with which both musicians have clearly worked physically as well as mentally until they were ideal in form, colour, size and texture." Stuttgarter Zeitung

Reviews

May 2009

*****

“Prégardien's baritone-like tenor has the customary spring in its step… But watching rather than merely listening also reveals the human gestural minutiae within the nerve system of a performance which is so sensitively tailored by both Prégardien and his pianist, Michael Gees, to every second of Schubert's score. Throughout the recital, the variety of gently paced and mixed camera shots is never distracting, and the performance is lit to perfection. In the excellent 25-minute bonus interview here Prégardien is both relaxed and succinct as he reveals something of the psychology within the narrative and his own performance.”

2010 edition

****

“Prégardien's honey-toned tenor with its moments of darker baritonal colouring is ideal to express the sadness of this moving journey...the performance is full of subtly graded variety of feeling...The recording is resonant but beautifully balanced and truthful.”